


Geraniums and White Carnations

by PjCole



Series: Floriography [1]
Category: Youtube RPF
Genre: M/M, flirting using flowers, flowershop!AU, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 00:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7552921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PjCole/pseuds/PjCole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is based of the prompt: </p><p>Person A owns a flower shop and person B comes storming in one day, slaps 20 bucks on the counter and says “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Geraniums and White Carnations

**Author's Note:**

> Hey self, you have a WIP road trip AU to be working on why don't you also write a one shot because you have no self control. Sounds great!

“I have a very important question for you!” The statement startled Mark from the text book he'd been reading and his head snapped up to meet the eyes of the loud customer. It's was a man, probably around them same age as Mark, with vibrant green hair and a scowl so deep on his face Mark felt a bit a fear at it. 

“Sure, what can I help you with?” Mark asked, voice unsteady and a little too soft. In the past two years he’d worked at his aunt’s flower shop he’d never dealt with someone so angry. Mostly the clients seemed to be exclusively little old ladies that redid their center pieces once a week and remorseful husbands needing out of the doghouse. 

“Do you actually understand the meanings behind the flowers? Or do you just sell them?” Unsure of how he'd missed the Irish accent before, Mark felt inclined to laugh at this guys seemingly very conscious attempt at being a walking stereotype. The green hair made both less and more sense now. Instead of laughing though, Mark just smiled and nodded in reply. 

“Yeah, I know what most all of them in this shop mean.” It was one thing Auntie had made him do before she gave him the job and little studio upstairs. He'd read probably several dozen different books and web pages on various conversations one could have with flowers. Surprisingly, he’d actually really enjoyed the education, learning everything his Aunt demanded in record time. She’d handed him the keys with a smile when he’d answered every question she'd thrown at him after only a few weeks of studying. 

“Awesome!” The man shoulders relaxed a bit and he even managed to crack a smile, but Mark could still feel the agitation rolling off him in waves. “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?”

For a moment Mark just stared in confusion, in the next he was near hysterical with laughter. “What the hell? What do you need that for?”

The smaller man’s expression wrestled between laughing himself and being offended, but Mark’s smile seemed to be infectious and he quickly joined the shopkeeper in his amusement. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have a good reason.”

“Please share with the class.” Mark stood up from the stool he’d been sitting on, closing his book with a dogeared page and leaning his hands onto the counter ready to hear this story. 

“Well I have this super shitty roommate. Doesn’t do his dishes, leaves trash everywhere, plays music all night at his stereo.” The man leaned one elbow against the counter, crossing his arms and ankles as he did. It felt a bit like gossiping with a classmate and made Mark smile a bit brighter. “And, you know it’s a cheap place, so I don’t let it bend me out of shape too much. Just bought headphones and dealt with being the only one to clean.”

“Sure, but I’m guessing something else happened. You know, leading you to these extremes.” Mark gestured at the flower shop and got the snicker he’d hoped for from his customer. 

“Yes it did. I left that piece of shit with two super simple tasks while I went home for two weeks. That’s it.” A finger was being waved in Mark’s face and the Irishman’s voice was getting angrier and angrier. “And you know what that asshole did?”

“Something horrible I’m sure.” Luckily the other man dropped his accusing finger when Mark backed away a bit, but the words still came out a little too nervous for Mark’s liking.

“Yeah. He killed not only my two fish, but also my fucking cactus. How do you kill a cactus?” They guy had pushed off the counter and was waving his hands in the air, his frustration back at the level it had been when he’d entered. 

“It’s certainly not easy. Maybe he over watered it?” Mark replied with a shrug. The other man sighed and drooped dejectedly at that.

“Probably drowned the poor thing.” 

“So why flowers then?” Mark asked, stepping out from behind the counter to begin searching for the perfect arrangement.

“It’s what he studies in school. Botany and what not. Plus he always talks about knowing all the flower languages to woo girls.” The man followed after Mark as he examined the Geraniums for the nicest looking bundle. “I figured it’d be an extra fuck you to do it in a language the dick understood.”

“We’ll give him what’s coming to him.” Mark replied as he moved on to the pot of foxglove, trimming off a few stocks. The man followed Mark as he gathered up three other bundles and tucked them in a brown parchment paper cone he’d rolled. 

“Do you want me to tell you what they all mean?” Mark asked them as he laid them out on the counter and began arranging them in cellophane and parchment. 

“Sure, it looks nice. All red and fiery.” The guy smiled and rubbed at his stubbled chin, examining the array of flowers before him. 

“Well, these pink ones are Geraniums and they basically mean ‘you’re stupid’. I figured they’d fit the situation.” A laugh and nod in agreement. Mark picked up a stock of pink bell shaped flowers next. “These are Foxgloves and they signify insincerity, so basically addressing his shity attempts at caring for your stuff. These other ones are for his apparent uselessness.” Mark picked up a bushel of tiny white flowers and tucked them under some of the foxglove. 

“Perfect.” Mark glanced up to see the man’s smile growing more and more evilly pleased.

“They’re called Meadowsweets. And then, we have these carnations, which tell him he’s a disappointment.” The man laughed cheekily as Mark pushed the yellow flowers up and under the Geraniums. “Finally, we have the orange lilly. These are simple and just signify good old hatred.” 

A few moments later Mark lifted the bouquet up to check the fullness, before handing it over to the customer with a smile.

“It looks great. And I love what all it says.” The man smiled happily as he inspected the bundle. 

“Do you want a card to go with it?” Mark asked, pulling the computer's keyboard over to be ready. 

“Yeah. Say ‘Thanks so much for taking care of everything while I was gone. Love Jack.” 

Mark typed it up, putting it in a nice swirly script and printing it out and stamping the shops contact info on the back. He tucked it into the bouquet just far enough back to be visible but not block the look of the piece. 

“That’ll be 25, unless you’d like me to make you anything else.” Mark told Jack with a smile. Truthfully, it should be closer to 35 or 40. He’d made a rather full bouquet with some of their nicer flowers. But Jack’s story had given him more entertainment then he’d gotten all week, so he figured he could give the guy a nice friends and family discount. 

“Actually can I get one more, small bouquet.” Jack smiled much sweeter than he had during their whole exchange and even came off a little bit nervous at the request.

“Sure thing, what did you want this one to say?” 

“You’re cute and have very nice eyes.” Jack said, eyes staring right into Marks.

The back of the keeper’s neck felt warm and he had to clear his throat before responding. He mentally hit himself and tried not to read into the heated look Jack was giving him. 

“Oh, sure. Uh, that one’s easy.” Fighting the heat crawling up his face, Mark walked around the counter and towards the Tulips. 

“These one’s are called variegated.” He ignored how close Jack was standing as he picked up three yellow and orange striped tulips. “They’ll get the nice eye part taken care of.”

“They look really cool.” Jack said, with what Mark refused to admit was a flirtatious smirk. 

“Mix that with some white carnations and maybe a bit of lavender.” Mark cleared his throat again, refusing to make eye contact with Jack. He was reading into it all and really didn’t want to be disappointed when the attractive customer left with both bundles. “Carnations for sweet love and lavender for admiration or kind of a crush.”

“Sounds good to me.” Mark made quick work of returning to the counter and arranging the small orange and purple bouquet. He could feel Jack’s eyes staring into him the entire time. 

“It’ll be- uh, ten for this.” Mark held the bundle out, a sweat breaking on his forehead when Jack didn’t take it. Instead reaching for his wallet. 

“Could I put a message on that one too?” He placed the other bouquet on the counter and counted out the cash as Mark slid the keyboard out in front of him. 

He willed his voice to come out calm and barely succeeded, “of course. What do you want on this one.”

Jack gave him that disgustingly attractive smirk again, before rattling off a phone number. ‘Shit’ was all that went through Mark’s mind. 

Jack handed Mark the money as the shopkeeper tucked the note in between a white carnation and some lavender. “Thanks again Mark.” 

With a nod, Jack picked the large bouquet up off the counter and turned towards the entrance. 

“You forgot this one.” Mark called out pointlessly, not even bothering to pick it up or move away from the spot his feet seemed to be cemented to. 

“I know.” Jack turned and winked at Mark as he opened the shop door, a dusting of red on his cheeks and a nervous smile on his lips. “See you around I hope.”

As soon as the door shut Mark buried his face in his hands, letting out a very undignified squeak. He liked his job more in the moment than he’d ever thought possible.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this. I hope you liked it!


End file.
